How to Sell a House in California: The Steps, Start to Finish

Selling a house in California follows a predictable path, but many of the details are specific to this state: the disclosure forms, the way escrow usually works in Northern California and the safety items a seller has to certify. This guide walks through a typical Alameda County sale in order, from choosing how to sell to the day the deed records. Every house and buyer is different, so treat it as a map rather than a schedule.

1. Choose how you’ll sell

Most sellers list with an agent. Some sell on their own, and some sell directly to a cash buyer. Whichever you choose, commissions are negotiable; California’s Department of Real Estate says there is no “standard” rate. Since the 2024 rule changes, buyers who use an agent sign a written agreement that sets that agent’s pay. A buyer may ask the seller to cover some or all of it as a concession, and the seller can accept or decline. If you’re thinking about doing it yourself, read how for sale by owner works in California.

2. Get the house and the paperwork ready

Clean, declutter and take care of small repairs before photos. Then handle the items California requires at sale:

Smoke alarms. A single-family home that’s sold must have an operable smoke alarm, and the seller gives the buyer a written statement of compliance.
Carbon monoxide alarms. Required in homes with a fossil-fuel heater or appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage.
Water heater strapping. Water heaters must be braced, anchored or strapped against earthquakes, and the seller certifies this in writing.
Sewer lateral. In Oakland, Alameda, Albany, Emeryville and Piedmont, EBMUD requires a compliance certificate, or a time extension, to close escrow. Berkeley runs its own program.

Gather what buyers will ask about: permits, past inspection and pest reports, warranties, HOA documents and your mortgage details so escrow can order a payoff.

3. Prepare the disclosures

This step takes more work than many sellers expect. In most California home sales, the seller owes:

The Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS). It asks what you know about the home, from the roof and plumbing to unpermitted work, neighborhood noise and lawsuits. Under Civil Code §1102, any waiver is void, and the Legislature has made clear it can’t be skipped in an “as is” sale.
The Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD). Under Civil Code §1103, it tells the buyer whether the property is in a mapped flood zone, a dam inundation area, a high or very high fire hazard severity zone, a wildland fire area, an earthquake fault zone or a seismic hazard zone. Most sellers buy a report from an NHD company.
The lead-based paint disclosure for homes built before 1978: the EPA pamphlet, anything you know about lead in the home and any records, a Lead Warning Statement with the contract and a 10-day window for the buyer to test, which the buyer can waive.
Earthquake disclosures for light-frame homes with one to four units built before 1960: the Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety and a form noting known weaknesses, such as missing foundation bolts.
Other items that depend on the home, such as fire-safety disclosures in high or very high fire hazard severity zones and a statement about whether the plumbing fixtures meet California’s water-conservation rules. Every purchase contract for a one- to four-unit home also includes a notice about the Megan’s Law database.

Some sales are exempt from the TDS, including court-ordered sales, foreclosures, most sales by executors or trustees while they administer an estate or trust and transfers between co-owners or to a spouse or direct relative. Even then, sellers generally still have to share known facts that materially affect the home’s value or desirability.

Deliver disclosures as early as you can. If they arrive after the buyer signs an offer, the buyer has three days after in-person delivery, or five days after mail or electronic delivery, to cancel.

4. Price it and find a buyer

Pricing starts with recent comparable sales nearby, adjusted for condition and location. On the open market, your agent (or you, if you’re selling by owner) markets the home, runs showings and collects offers. Buyers using a loan usually include a preapproval letter, and cash buyers should show proof of funds.

5. Sign a purchase agreement

Many California sales, especially those with agents, use the residential purchase agreement published by the California Association of REALTORS, often after a counteroffer or two. The form covers the price, the deposit, how the buyer is paying, contingency deadlines for inspections, the appraisal and the loan, who pays which costs, what stays with the house and the closing date. Once signed, it also serves as joint instructions to escrow. Read every deadline and ask about anything unclear before you sign.

6. Open escrow and order title

In Northern California, a title company usually handles both title and escrow in the same transaction. Escrow holds the buyer’s deposit, the loan funds and the signed documents, then pays everyone at closing. The title company searches the public records and issues a preliminary title report, which lists liens, easements and anything else that has to be cleared or accepted.

Escrow also orders payoff figures for your mortgage and any liens and handles California’s real estate withholding. Unless an exemption applies, 3⅓% of the sales price is withheld and sent to the Franchise Tax Board. If the house was last used as your main home, withholding generally doesn’t apply, and you certify that on Form 593. Who pays which escrow and title fees is negotiable. In Northern California, buyers have traditionally paid for the owner’s title insurance policy.

7. Inspections, appraisal and contingency removal

During the contingency period the buyer investigates the house, often with a general home inspection, a pest inspection and sometimes roof, sewer or foundation specialists. Expect a request for repairs or a credit. You can agree, counter or say no.

If the buyer has a loan, the lender’s appraiser values the house. Problems serious enough to affect safety or structural soundness can require repairs before a conventional loan will close. When the buyer is satisfied, they remove contingencies in writing, and the deal becomes much firmer.

8. Close

Shortly before closing, the buyer does a final walkthrough. You sign the grant deed in front of a notary, along with escrow’s closing papers. When the buyer’s funds arrive, escrow records the deed with the Alameda County Clerk-Recorder, pays off your loans, collects transfer taxes and closing costs and sends you the proceeds. Then you hand over the keys, unless you’ve agreed in writing to stay on for a short time.

Taxes come afterward. Many owners can exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly, on a main home they owned and lived in for two of the five years before the sale. A CPA can tell you how the rules apply to you, and our guide to taxes when you sell a house in California explains the basics.

If you’d rather skip most of this

Selling directly to a cash buyer removes the listing, showings, repair negotiations and lender steps. It doesn’t remove disclosures, title or escrow. The trade-off is price: a cash offer is usually below full market value. If that trade makes sense for you, here’s how our process works.

Sources

General information about California rules as of October 3, 2026, not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws change and every situation is different, so check the details with an attorney, CPA or other professional.